National security agencies face pressure to put advanced technology into operation as threats evolve faster than traditional acquisition timelines allow. Meeting that demand requires secure computing capacity, accessible intelligence data, and teams equipped to use AI at mission speed.

In the first installment of a three-part series, Samantha Fletcher, Head of National Security Programs at AWS, speaks with Dr. Adita Karkera, Chief Data Officer (CDO), Government and Public at Deloitte, about the priorities shaping national security technology adoption.

Fletcher identifies speed to capability as a top priority. AI, analytics, and compute cannot wait 18 to 24 months on a traditional acquisition timeline, so Fletcher’s team works to compress it. Fletcher adds that secure cloud infrastructure built for classified environments lets agencies train or fine-tune models on mission-relevant data.

Agencies hold vast SIGINT, IMINT, and HUMINT data, yet much of it remains siloed and underused. Fletcher emphasizes discoverability, governance, and interoperability as the foundations that make AI and other tools work.

Three themes run through the conversation:

• Mission-focused execution: Technology should make missions faster, smarter, and more resilient, lighten the cognitive load on operators, and deliver tangible mission outcomes.
• Data and AI readiness: Interoperable data and secure computing capacity support more sophisticated analytics and AI workloads.
• Workforce preparedness: Cloud-fluent, AI-ready teams are needed to operate new capabilities at mission speed.

Fletcher also reflects on how military service, intelligence work, and personal challenges taught lessons in resilience and collective success, and shaped a leadership philosophy centered on service, listening, and empowering others.

On the move? Take this conversation with you. If you don’t have time to finish the video, you can stream the complete, uninterrupted audio edition of this episode on the go.